18/11/2014

Minister for Justice To Drop Plans To Change Age Of Consent

A plan to reduce the age of sexual consent from 17 to 16 is to be formally dropped by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald.

It is one of a number of changes by the ministers predecessor, Alan Shatter. A motion to abandon the change in consent will be included in a memo to the Cabinet, which will also include a proposal to criminalise purchasing sex.

Mr Shatter had introduced a memo to government on the issue of lowering the age of consent in December 2013, but no decision was ever taken.

(MH/IT)

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